Cradle pin for textile fiber drafting apparatus



Sept. 29, 1959 R. 1.. SNYDER, JR 1 ,9

CRADLE 'PIN FOR TEXTILE FIBER DRAFTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 24, 1956 INVENTOR. ROBERT 1.. sums/v, JR.

A TTORNEYS CRADLE PIN FOB TEXTILE FI ER-DBAF'IING APPARATUS Robert L. Snyder,-; Jr., Charlotte, N,C., assignor to R; H. Bouli'gny, Inc., acorporatibnof North Carolina Application ctober24,.1956, Serial No. Q3394 3 Claims (Cl. 19 13 1) This invention relates. generally, totexti e fiber drafting apparatus, and more particularly to" an improved term of crad e pin for support ng. aprons in: prop wor ng elat n in app a usef' his. s nd t h manner in. which thus cradle pinis formed.

Cradle pins are characterizedin: general by a pair of. spaced legs that are positionedin, the fiber drafting apparatus to carry aprons at one end of the operating reach thereof. The spacing of the cradle pin legs determines the operating relation of the aprons, and this operating relation must be maintained accurately in order to produce fine quality yarn uniformly and consistently.

One type of cradle pin heretofore in use has been a U-shaped pin formed of flat, round edge, steel wire with the spaced legs thereof joined at the base of the U. A cradle pin of this sort has the substantial disadvantage of being impossible to manufacture in any practical manner with a uniform spacing between the legs from one end to the other. This type of cradle pin is also diflicult to remove from its installed position in the drafting apparatus because the base of the U cannot be gripped adequately for removal by hand and, accordingly, requires use of a special removing tool.

Other types of cradle pins have heretofore been produced by die casting a zinc alloy or similar metals into a one piece U-shaped pin, and while a pin of this type can be produced much more accurately than the previously noted formed steel wire type of pin, it has the distinct disadvantage of extreme weakness and is so easily bent or deformed that the close tolerances possible in manufacture are readily destroyed in handling or during operation. Also, in the above noted die cast type of cradle pin a slight flash or parting ridge is necessarily formed initially along each edge surface of the spaced legs which is diflicult to remove satisfactorily in preparing these edge surfaces to have the supported aprons run thereover. In addition, the wear resistance of the die cast cradle pin legs is not good, so that they have a much shorter service life than is desirable.

The improved cradle pin of the present invention eliminates the foregoing disadvantages and difficulties by forming the spaced cradle pin legs of separate rigid bar elements and imbedding these elements rigidly adjacent one end in a common, cast, base member. By this arrangement, an extremely accurate spacing of the legs can be obtained during manufacture; the legs can be provided in the form best adapted for serviceably supporting the aprons; and the common base member can be proportioned readily in size not only for carrying the legs rigidly, but also for use conveniently as a handle means by which the cradle pin may be installed and removed without requiring any special tool for this purpose.

These and other features of the present inventions are United States Patent 2,905,977 Patented Sept. 29, 1959 2].. deseribedsin' further: detail below in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig; l-isa diagrammatic.illustration ofartextile fiber drafting" apparatus: employing a. cradle pin embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2-is1a related:illustrationxtaken substantially on theline 2.2 in Fig. 1; I.

Fig.1 .3 is 1. a. plan-1 view. of the. cradlexpinx illustrated in Figs, 1 and;:2, as seemfrom the sideopposite.thatsappear ing.in.Eig.'.2;

Fig. .4 is a side elevations.corresponding: to Fig; 3; and

F lg; 5 I is ';-a right: end. view correspondingto' Figs 4-.

Referring. now in" detail: to the: drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates .theiarrangementxof a textile :fibendrafting apparatus comprising top and bottom back rolls 10 and 12, inter mediate rolls .14 and 16,- andifront rolls.18ian'd 20,. disposed inepairs andalignedifor drafting a yarnstrand Y with endless aprons 22.-and:24 provided;"respectively, at'the top-.and. bottom..intermediatezrolls. 1.4' and' 161 for. SUPP porting and'carrying. the .yarn strand Y'therefrom'to'the pair offront rolls 18cand 20s Thecaprons -22 and 24;. which .=runa=rearwardl-y over- .the respective intermediate rolls 14 and 16, are arranged between a pair of side plates 26 spaced by strut members at 28 to form a cradle frame on which the improved cradle pin of the present invention is carried forwardly, as indicated generally by the reference numeral 30, for supporting the aprons 22 and 24 at the forward end of the operating reach thereof.

The cradle pin 30, as illustrated further in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, comprises a pair of spaced legs 32, on which the aprons 22 and 24 are supported, and a common base member 34 fixed on the legs 32 adjacent one end thereof; the cradle pin legs 32 being separate rigid bar elements formed of round edge, flat wire or the like, and being imbedded rigidly in the common base member 34 which is cast, preferably die cast, directly thereon. That is, the cradle pin 30 is formed according to the present invention by first providing a pair of separate rigid bar elements in the shape of the cradle pin legs 32, then disposing these bar elements accurately in the spaced relation required for the legs 32 and holding them in this relation while die casting or otherwise forming the common, cast, base member 34 thereon in an extent sufiicient to carry the leg elements 32 rigidly in the required spaced relation.

The bar elements forming the cradle pin legs 32 may be advantageously edge notched at 36 adjacent the imbedded ends thereof to key the cast base member 34 therewith, and these elements are further edge notched at 38 and 40 according to the present invention to provide for lateral retention of the legs 32 in spanning relation with respect to the pair of side plates 26; the legs 32 being provided in a length sufiicient for such spanning relation with the base member 34 disposed laterally beyond one of the side plates 26 for convenient access as a handle means, as previously mentioned.

Edgewise of the side plates 26, the cradle pin 30 is positioned by side plate edge notches 42 which are formed for properly locating one of the spanning cradle pin legs 32, while allowing the proper position of the other leg 32 to be determined therefrom in relatively wide further edge notches 44.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a textile fiber drafting apparatus of the type incorporating aprons, a cradle pin having a pair of spaced legs for supporting said aprons at one end of the operating reach thereof in proper working relation, said legs being preformed separate rigid bar elements of round edge, wear resistant, fiat wire imbedded rigidly adjacent one end in a common base member cast thereon. a

' 2'. In a textile fiber drafting appartus of the type in- :corp'orating aprons, a pair of side plates between which arranged for disposition laterally beyond one of said side plates.

3. In a textile fiber drafting apparatus of the type incorporating aprons, a pair of side plates between which said aprons are trained, and a cradle pin having a pair of spaced legs spanning said side plates for supporting said aprons at one end of the operating reach thereof in proper working relation, said side plates having edge notches formed therein for locating one of said spanning cradle pin legs at a fixed position edgewise of said side plates while allowing the position of the other of said legs to be determined by the location of said first mentioned leg, said cradle pin legs being preformed separate rigid bar elements of round edge, wear resistant, flat wire formed in a length exceeding the spacing of said side plates and imbedded rigidly adjacent one end in a common base member cast thereon, said leg elements each being edge notched for lateral retention in spanning relation with said side plates and said com: mon base member disposed laterally beyond one of said sideplates, and said base. member being proportioned in size-for serving'as a handle means by which said cradle pin may bemanipulated readily for installation and removal in relation to said side plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 

